Safety attachment



(No Model.) I

C. BEMOEGAN.

V SAFETY ATTACHMENT EOR' ELEVATORS. 110,256,354,

Patented Apr. 11, 1882;

INVENTUR- '%%w J! WITNEEEEE'.

wuzww vator embodying my invention.

. UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

OHARLES B. MORGAN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. I

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR ELEVA T ORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,354, dated April 11, 1882.

Application filed August 24, 1881.

To all, whom it may concern Be it'known that 1, CHARLES BILL Moa- GAN, a citizen of the United States, and residing-at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and useful Safety Attachment for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

The'object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the cage or platform of an elevator is arrested from the inside and prevented from falling should thehoisting-gear become deranged or broken. I accomplish this-object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an ele- Fig. 2 is a planot'awell-knownautomaticgrippingdevice, showing cross section of rope or stationary cable. Fig. 3 is aplan of my improved gripping device, to be operated by the attendant.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out the several views. I

In order to carry out my invention, I make vertical holes or openings A through the cage or platform of the elevator of a sufficient size or diameter to receive a cable, rope, or rod, B, and admit of the easy passage of the cage upward or downward without friction upon or against this stationary cable. The cable exand is drawn taut and rigidly confined at both ends, and is independent of the frame-work'ot the cage or platform.

A clamping device, (3, having heads to bind against or bite the staiionary cable B, is connected to the cage at any convenient point, andis provided with an operating-lever, C. The cable passes through these clamping-jaws D D, which are so arranged with reference to the cable as to avoid all friction upon it when the jaws are spread apart. The jaws are opened and closed by a vise-screw, E, having a coarse thread or pitch, so that by a quick half-turn of the operatinglever O, which passes through the head of the screw, the gripping-jaws will engage the stationary cable immediately and the descent of the cage be instantly arrested. The cramping hand-lever should be located in the cage within easy reach of the operator and the jaws be arranged to operate quickly and certain.

In order to more fully guard against accident or inattention of the operator I attach to the side of the cage, near the roof and in a vertical line with the clamp 0, above described, an auxiliary clamp, Z, which is constructed in (No model.)

a well-known manner, as illustrated by plan in Fig. 2, and isprovided with gripping-jaws Y Y, similar to those of the clamp 0. clamp is operated in an automatic manner by the lever-arm X, which has its fulcrum upon the rod X, and is provided upon its short arm with the cam X A coiled or other spring, W, is placed about midway upon the lever X, with its upper end bearing against the top of the cage. To the outer end of the lever X is attached a cord or string, X which passes up through the top of the cage and is connected to the'hoisting cable or rope. This string or line is always taut when the hoistii g-cable is taut or in position; but should this cable break a parting or slackening of the cord will take place and permit the long arm of the lever-X to drop downward, which movement is accelerated by the expansive force of the spring W, and by which action the camlever will force the jaws together upon the dable and arrest the cage.

"I am aware that wedge-shaped blocks having a concave serrated surface adapted to be forced by suitable spring-actuated levers in contact with vertical rods secured at their ends to the top and bottom of an elevator-well have been employed to automatically arrest the fall of an elevator cage or platform upon breakage of the hoisting apparatus. I am also aware This that a cam, weighted or spring-actuated levers, and suitable connecting-rods have also been employed for a similarpurpose. Clampin g devices arranged within the elevator-cage and adapted'to grasp fixed ropes or rods, and thus arrest the fall of the elevator, are also old. These, however, I do not broadly claim; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with an elevator cab or cage and the fixed arresting cable or red B, the clamping-heads D D, vise-screw E, and operating-lever 0, located within easy reach of the attendant, substantially as shown and described.

'In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 12th day of August, 1881.

CHARLES BILL MORGAN. [n 3.] 

